346 JOURNAL, BOMB A Y NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XLX. 



and 4th or 5th and 6th) rows above the ventrals. From ID they again reduce 

 almost simultaneously to 17 by a fusion of the 3rd and 4th or 4th and 5th rows. 

 The anal was divided in one specimen only. Here again I cannot agree with 

 Mr, Boulenger's designation of a subocular, and in this species the arguments 

 in favour of my own view are very strong, for many specimens are to be seen 

 with and many without this little shield. In some it is present on one side and 

 not on the other, and a comparison of the two sides makes the origin of the 

 shield obvious. In one example the 3rd labial is seen but partially divided, 

 very clearly indicating that the so-called subocular is an integral part of this 

 shield. I attach figures for comparison. 



The ins of the specimen brought to me freshly killed was red, and the pupil 

 horizontally subovate. The chin was ruddy, and the throat canary yellow. The 

 posterior transverse bars were ruddy. In another specimen the sides of the throat 

 were salmon, and the belly behind pinkish about the angulation of the ventrals. 



Coluber fomitirus (Cope). 

 I obtained two specimens from Pashok, and saw another in the St. Joseph's 

 College collection. In all specimens the costals were 23 from close behind the 

 neck, to a point well behind midbody, where they became 21. The reduction 

 to 21 is due to fusion of the 4th and 5th rows above the ventrals ; from 21 to 

 19 to fusion of the 3rd and 4th rows. In one example they remained 19 

 nearly to the vent, in the other two they reduced to 17, more than two heads- 

 lengths before the anus, the reduction being brought about by fusion of the 

 5th and 6th rows. The labials were 9, the 5th and 6th touching the eye, the 

 4th not divided. The ventrals and subcaudals were 246+100, 254+94 and 

 252+98. The anal was divided in all. 



Coluber jorasinus (Blyth). 



Five specimens were collected, all from 

 Pashok, and all yoimg. The scales are 19 from 

 just behind the neck to well behind midbody. 

 The absorption of rows is interesting, and so 

 different from many species now included in 

 the genus that I think this alone may serve to 

 further divide it. From 19 the rows soon 

 become 15 by two fusions which occur close 

 together, so that their order may be reversed. 

 Usually the first from 19 to 17 is due to a 

 fusion of the 3rd and 4th (rarely 4th and 5th) 

 rows above the ventrals ; the next from 17 to 

 1 5 is due to a coalescence of the two rows next 

 to the vertebral on each side (not the vertebral 

 itself). 



Boulenger says the anal shield is rarely entire. 



I found it so in all the specimens, and also in one 



(nat. size). of the two m the Darjeehng Museum. 1 omitted 



